Public toilets

This refers to the editorial “Public toilets for our cities” (Dec. 31) on a pressing issue. India has invested more in space research, defence and ‘Z’ category security than in public toilets. The plight of women and senior citizens in public places cannot be described in words. The silent cry of girls in the early stages of puberty is hardly noticed. It is a big nightmare for them to go to school as toilets there are unusable. The government can rope in corporates to maintain public toilets and give tax sops to them besides prime advertisement space. Unless we provide the basic facility, no scientific, economic or technological advancement will make sense.

S. Veeraraghavan,

Madurai

The Tamil Nadu government should be made aware that all bus stands in major cities and towns have toilets but cannot be used. Similarly, toilets in wayside stops in the State are in a very poor condition. Due to bad toilets, the area around such places has become toilets. The longest toilet in the world, of course, is the Indian Railway track.

N. Venkatakrishnan,

Rajapalayam